Photo of the members of the Maui Swim Club, L-R: Jose Balmores, Takashi 'Halo' Hirose, William Neunzig, and Keo Nakama courtesy of the International Swimming Hall of Fame, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Imagine growing up and swimming in an irrigation ditch. And then becoming one of the best swimmers in the world. The island of Maui was the setting for this
The Hawaii Swimming Hall of Fame and Museum promotes, preserves, and perpetuates Hawaiian aquatic sports for the future by celebrating the achievements of pool and open water swimmers, divers, water polo athletes, and by sponsoring aquatic exhibits and performances. The Hall of Fame is sponsored by the Hawai'i Swimming Legacy Project founded in 2002 with
In creating a list of great American areas for open water swimming (see here), we purposefully put Honolulu, Hawaii as Number One (no ka oi). After swimming around the world and observing swimmers and reporting on events on five continents, there are many scenic locations and wonderfully hospitable communities of open water swimmers, but there were many
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. Bill Goding and Linda Kaiser started the Ka'iwi Channel Swimmers Association and are offering certificates to all 28 of the past successful swimmers of the 26-mile Molokai Channel. "We have a Molokai (Ka'iwi) Channel Swim website that will answer most of the questions including how to get to Molokai, where
What do these individuals have in common? Captain Matthew Webb, George Young, Keo Nakama (shown on left), Mercedes Gleitze, Barry Devonport, Tom Blower, and David Yudovin. Hint: The Oceans Seven. These were the first individuals who crossed each of the channels in the Oceans Seven (English Channel in 1875, Catalina Channel in 1927, Molokai Channel in
Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California. After learning about the 22 hour 29 minute 47 second marathon swim of Stephen Redmond across the Moloka'i Channel (Kaiwi Channel), we stand in awe of the Irish swimmer and everyone else who swims distances that pushes them beyond the reasonable and the normal. After leaving Papohohako Beach on Molokai
Keo Nakama, an inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, was a multi-sport star and one of the greatest swimmers of his era. And, boy, did he use some classic goggles. Too bad manufacturers don't make those anymore. Fit is always important, but check out how hip and cool Nakama's goggles were. Marilyn Bell of Canada (shown on left) and
There are a number of unique places in the world where a number of world open water swimming records can be established. Channels in the state of Hawaii include the Kaiwi, Auau, Kalohi, Alalakeiki, Pailolo, Alenuihaha and the Kaulakahi channels that lie between the islands of Maui, Molokai, Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii, Lanai and Kahoolawe.Among the record holders
The Kaiwi Channel, also popularly known as the Molokai Channel), is part of the Oceans Seven.The Molokai Channel has a lot to challenge the marathon swimmer...of all ages. To date, there have been 13 different people who have crossed the Molokai Channel a total of 15 different times with two people going in the Oahu-to-Molokai direction and four members of
